AOTY

“Funny how you remember summers by the records…." said Kevin Rowland in “Reminisce Part 2" off “Don’t Stand Me Down". 1985. Commercial suicide, release delayed by months because dear old Kevin apparently couldn’t decide on the exact shade of purple for the cover, the nutter. Panned by the critics, but I absolutely loved it, still do.

I remember seasons by the records, not just summers. 85-86 was Steve McQueen and Don’t Stand Me Down and 3 months travelling around India listening to “The King of America" by Elvis Costello on a knackered tiny cassette player, in between hopelessly trying to get a World Service signal find out whether the Rams were maintaining a promotion push. I was back home in time to see Christie’s penalty.

Music began for me at the end of punk. Before that, my first record was “Revolver" bought by parents, and the first I bought for myself was “Dark Side of the Moon". By the end of school music had suddenly become fantastic and dominated everything: “Get Happy", “Remain in Light", “Scary Monsters" and “Closer". Unbelievable albums that set me on my way to university, and The Fall, The Smiths, Tom Waits, everything.

86-87, miserable as sin, kept alive by the glorious promotion season, Bramall Lane and all that, and “The Joshua Tree" in my tiny room at Derby City Hospital. 1990, Bart’s in London, Gazza’s tears were accompanied by “Reading, Writing and Arithmetic" by The Sundays and Lloyd Cole’s first solo album. 94-95, a year in Toronto with tapes of Radio Derby commentaries sent by girlfriend’s parents and “The Holy Bible" searing my eardrums. 95-96, Vidal moving with the times and now into a bit of techno, it was “In-Sides" by Orbital that soundtracked Van Der Laan’s goal. The last great season, 06-07, back in the days when Artoo was still known as Billy, it was back to where I started, the fantastic George Martin mash-up “Love" by The Beatles, me and the lads singing away in the car all the way from Shrewsbury to Derby and back as we stumbled into the play-offs and promotion.

And so to now. This may or may not be a vintage season, but if it is the records that will stay forever linked to it for me will be Daft Punk’s “Random Access Memories" and Arcade Fire’s “Reflektor".

I know this all very Hornby, but I also know many out there are music fans of various persuasions, and also there are some that can apparently tolerate Ocean Colour Scene. So post your Rams musical memories from years gone by, get all snooty about my choice of music and give me your own album of 2013.